Device for holding and centering corks for use in connection with corking machines



FeB. 14, 1928.

W. RULISON DEVICE FOR HOLDING AND CENTERING CORKS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH CORKING MACHINES Filed April 1. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 x Q kw Feb. 14, 1928.

1,659,049 W. RULISON DEVICE FOR HCLDING AND CENTERING CORKS'FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH CORKING MACHINES Filed April 1, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 31402111 01 ulzbon/ ("1cm new Patented Feb. 14, 1928.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM RULISON, OF BAI-IWAY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO MERCK 8t (10., OF NE YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DEVICE FOR HOLDING AND CENTERING CORKS FOR- USE IN CONNECTION WITH CORKING MACHINES.

Application filed April 1, 1924. Serial No. 703,404.

This invention relates tonew and useful improvements in devices for holding and'centering corks for use in connection with corking machines. I

The primary object of the invention is to provide means for holding and centering corks for permitting the latter to be driven into the necks of bottles during the travel of the latter through a cor-king machine to which this device is attached.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improvedcork holding and centering means which may be quickly and easily adjusted to accommodate corks of different sizes.

A further object of the invention is to provide means of the above mentioned type which will readily yield to the operation of a cork driving plunger for permitting corks to be transferred from the holding means into the necks of bottles as the latter are fed beneath the driving plunger.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of 1 the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout.

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the cork holding and centering device embodying this invention and shown in operative relation with a fragmentary portion of a corking machine in connection with which this device is used,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, of a fragmentary portion of the device illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and shows indetail the relative positions of the cork driving plunger and thecork holding and centering means after a corkhas been driven home, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view, partly in section, showing the star wheel for feeding the bottles.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of this invention,the numeral 5, in Figshl and 2, designates the bottle feeding portion of a corking machine, the said bot -tle feedingportion 5 being adapted for automatically -moving the bottles B under the reciprocating cork driving plunger 6 for receiving a cork and for moving the said bottles from beneath the said plunger to a suitable point of discharge.

Rotatably mounted upon, or rotat ng with,

a suitable support 7 is a horizontally extending disk 8 having equi-spaced substantially circular cut-out portions 9 formed in its peripheral edge.

Carried by the revolving disk 8 and positioned in axial alinement with each one of the circular cut-out portions 9 is a split. tapered cork holding and centering cup which is designated in general by the numeral 10.

The split, tapered cups 10 each consist of the two cup-portions or parts 10 each of which is rigidly connected tothe inner end of a channeled bar 11 which is pivotally supported, adjacent to the cup part 10*, by the spaced, upstanding brackets 12.; It is in-' tended that the outer end portions of these bars 11 be provided with weights 13 for overbalancing the said bars to normally place the outer ends of the same in engagement with the top face of the revolving supporting disk 8. The outer ends of the said bars 11 are each provided with an adjusting screw 14 whichmay be employed for adjusting the said ends in respect to the upper face of the disk 8. It will be noted that the cup parts 10*, when the outer ends of the bars 11 are .in engagement with the top face of the disk 8, form a substantially cone-shaped pocket having a substantially circular hole 15 formed by the lower arcuate edges of the said parts 10".

It will be seen by inspecting Fig. 1 that a cork C may be dropped into each one of these split cups 10 and will be held therein by the lower edges of the parts 10*. as illustrated. The corks C. shown in Fig. 1, are illustrated as depending from the cups 10 through the cut-out portions 9 formed in the I revolving disk 8. It will be apparent that the adjusting screws 14 may be threaded through the weighted ends of the bars 11 for normally causing the said weighted ends to be elevated anv desired distancein respect to the top face of the disk 85 By elevating indicating the direction of travel of the bot tles B and of the revolving disk 8. It is to be understood that suitable mechanism is provided, for moving the bottles in synchronism with the rotation of the disk 8 and for holding the said bottles in axial alinement with the split, tapered cups 10 While the said bottles are being conveyed beneath the cork driving plunger 6. It is also to be understood that the plunger 6 is operated in synchronism with the movement of the bottles and the rotation of the disk 8 and that an uncorked bottle and a cork carrying cup 10 will be positioned beneath the plunger 6 every time the latter descends to drive a cork. The corks G are intended to be placed into the split, tapered cups 10 as the same arrive at the point D (see Fig. 2) and that the corks will be carried by the cups 10 to the point, E when they will be positioned directly beneath the plunger 6. The, plunger will then descend and drive the cork from its holder into the neck of the bottle B positioned therebeneath.

As shown in Fig. 1, the bottle feeding portion 5 comprises a vertical shaft 5 to the upper end of which, the revolving disk 8 is fixed. A pair of star wheels 8 is also fixed to the shaft 5 beneath the revolving disk 8 and this operation will at once he understood froman inspection of Figures 1 and 4. An endless conveyor moves the bottles B to positions beneath the disk 8 and into the radial pockets 8* of the star wheels, rotation of the star wheels 8 with the disk 8 and shaft 5 disposing the bottle beneath the plunger 6, movement at this time being ar rested to permit lowering movement of the plunger and corking of the bottle. The operating mechanism' for the plunger 6 and shaft 5 comprises a Geneva movement, a bevel gear 20 upon the lower end of the shaft 5 meshing with the bevel gear 21 upon the shaft 22. A Geneva wheel 23 is carried by the opposite end of the shaft 22 and cooperates with the pin 24 carried by the disk 25 that is fixed to the power shaft 26. An eccentric 27 at one end of the power shaft 26 has a link connection 28 with the arm 29 that projects laterally of the plunger 6. It will therefore be seen that while movement of the plunger is continuous, movement of the feeding star wheels 8 and disk 8 is intermittent, due to the Geneva movement between the power shaft 26 and shaft 5* which holds the bottle against movement while being caught by the plunger. After the corking operation, continued movement of the star wheels 8 will move the bottles B over the platform and onto the endless conveyor, the bottles being removed from the platform and out of the star wheel pocket 8 by the guide 30 shown in Figure i.

In Fig, 3 there is illustrated the position of the plunger 6 after it has removed a cork from a cup 10 and has driven the same into the neck ofa bottle B. It will be understood that the lower end of the plunger 6 will first come into engagement with the tapered walls of the cup parts 10" and that further movement of the said plunger will cause the said parts to be moved downwardly and laterally away from each other for releasing their hold upon the cork C. This movement of the cup parts 10 will naturally cause the outer weighted ends of the barsll to be elevated in respect to the upper face of the tween the cup parts 10, the weighted ends of the bars 11 will cause the said parts to again assume the positions illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and the same will be in readiness for receiving another cork when they arrive at the point D.

It is now believed that the construction and operation of this device will be understood from the above detailed description of the same. 7 r 7 It is to be understood that the form of this invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, I claim 1. In a device of the type described, a rotary supporting member, means carried 'by said member for yieldably holding a bottlestopper, said means consisting of a segmental tapered cup, an overbalanced bar c0nnected to each segment of said cup, means for pivotally supporting each segment and its respective bar, and adjustable means for limiting the pivotal movement of the segments toward their stopper holding positions for permitting different sized stoppers to be handled.

2. In a device of the type described, a rotary supporting member, and means carried by said member for yieldably holding a bottle-stopper, said means consisting of a segmental tapered cup, a weighted bar connected to each segmentof said cup, means connected to each bar inwardly of its center of gravity for pivotally supporting each segment and its respective bar, and means carried by the outer portion of each bar for adjusting the operative position of its segment.

3. In a device of the type described, the combination with a stopper driving plunger and a conveyor for feeding'bottles beneath said plunger, of a revolving member having a plurality of peripheral cutout portions, and a stopper holding member carried by the revolving member above and in alinement with each cutout portion, said holding members each including pivotally movable segments, each of which is of semi-conical form, means for yieldably holding the segments in cooperative positions to clam a stopper between their lower edges an to drop said stopper into an awaiting bottle opening when the plunger first engagesthe segments in passing therebetween and means for varying the cooperative posltions of said segments so that their lower clamping edges may be properly positioned to hold different sized stoppers.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM RULIS ON. 

